


Home for Christmas

by Firenza



Series: Septic Egos Oneshots [11]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anti doesn’t exist here, Christmas Eve, Christmas Tree, No Angst, Pancakes, Snow, long car rides
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:05:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firenza/pseuds/Firenza
Summary: Jackie is way too energetic at five in the morning.





	Home for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! And if you don’t celebrate then I hope you have a great day.

“The sun's not even up yet and you want me to do what?” Marvin mutters angrily into his freshly brewed cup of coffee.

“You, my dear magic friend, are going to help us cut down a tree! It’s Christmas Eve and we still don’t have one.” Jackie proclaims excitedly, way too energetic for five in the morning. He dances around Marvin’s chair to grab his free arm which he immediately yanks back. 

“Why? Can’t you get that yourself with your super strength?” Marvin teases. “Oh wait, you don’t have any.” He knew he was being cruel as Jackie was pretty sensitive about not having any superpowers, but he honestly couldn’t care at this point.

Jackie doesn’t seem to mind, however. His wide smile doesn’t even falter as he drags Marvin outside into the freezing cold and into the car packed with the other just-as-tired egos. Chase is shoved in the middle of the backseat, asleep, with his head on Jameson’s shoulder. The usually upbeat actor has his head against the window and a scowl on his lips. In the passenger seat is Henrik, holding a thermos close to his chest as if it was his life. 

Jackie is the only person even remotely awake. He jumps into the driver’s seat and turns around to make sure Marvin actually gets in the car instead of teleporting away. As much as he wants to teleport back into his warm bed, seeing Jackie sad later would be worse than any exhaustion he was feeling now. Not that he would ever admit that.

They drove to the soft Christmas carols drifting from the radio. Chase continued to sleep, barely stirring even as they drove over deep potholes. Jameson started to wake up, but left his head against the window. Henrik fell asleep soon after they got moving, dropping his thermos to the floor. 

Marvin dozed in and out of sleep. He wasn’t sure how long they were in the car, but it seemed at least an hour. White blankets of snow covered the frozen ground and trees. Soft flurries drift from the grey sky, melting against the frosty window. They turn onto a bumpy dirt road surrounded by forest. The sun breaks through the clouds, dotting the white ground. They hit a dip, sending everyone jostling around and waking Chase and Henrik with a start. The two groan, but neither make the attempt to fall back asleep. 

About a half hour later, Jackie stops the car. “Everybody out!” He yells. Marvin begrudgingly exits the car, the cold nipping against the exposed half of his face. He hugs himself, trying to get at least some sort of warmth. 

Jackie stands underneath a tree, looking up at it as if it were his son. He somehow had managed to find the most manufactured looking tree in the entire forest. It’s nothing huge, just an six foot tall pine, but it’s as full and pristine as a plastic tree. Was this what they had driven hours to find?

“Can someone get the axe out from the trunk?” Jackie calls.

“Vhy on Earth do you have an axe in zee car?” Henrik shakes his head, but does as he had asked. He hands it to him. Jackie thanks him and goes to work on the tree. 

Chase leans against the hood of the car, his breath coming out in puffs of white. “So, why did we all need to come for this? Couldn’t you do it yourself?”

“Where’s the fun in that, Chase? Come on, lighten up a little.” Jackie says, his words punctuated with chops at the tree. 

“Why did we have to get up so early then?” Marvin grumbles. He was on Chase’s side here. His desire to teleport back home into the warmth of his bed was growing with every icy breath he took, but he would stay. If only to make Jackie happy. 

Soon enough, they have the tree down and somehow managed to get it tied to the top of the car. Then, they’re on the road again. Soft carols drift from the radio, lulling Marvin into the relaxed state between awake and asleep. Jackie hums along, still way too chipper for someone who had woken up before the crack of dawn to drive an hour and a half just to get a Christmas tree. At least he was the one driving. The carols and hum of the car finally send Marvin off to sleep, where he dreams of nothing and everything. 

When he wakes, they’re pulling into the driveway, and Jackie finally looks somewhat tired. They carry the tree into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, Jackie immediately falls asleep. Jameson shakes his head at him. 

“That’s whatcha get,” Chase half laughs at him. 

They set up the tree in the corner of the living room and Chase and Henrik leave to get the boxes of Christmas decorations from the basement. Marvin goes into the kitchen to make another pot of coffee, knowing that he and the others would down it in seconds. Even after his nap in the car, exhaustion clung to Marvin’s bones, weighing down every step. His mask laid uncomfortably on his face, but he knew he’d be worse without it so he leaves it on.

Henrik drinks half the pot before Chase even has a chance to enter the kitchen. He’s followed closely by Jameson who opens the fridge, a silent offer to make breakfast. He still hadn’t figured an easy way to communicate with the others, but they had managed to learn enough about his mannerisms to understand him most of the time. 

In no time at all, he’d whipped up a batch of the softest pancakes Marvin had ever seen. Jackie had woken up from the sweet smell and joined them in the kitchen. 

“So, why did we have to do that?” Marvin asks Jackie, still annoyed.

Jackie looks at him strangely, mouth full of pancake. “Do you not- oh, right. You were sick.” Marvin opens his mouth to question him, but Jackie explains before he can say anything. “Our first Christmas, Jack took me along with him to find a Christmas tree. You were sick, Marvin, and Henrik... I’m pretty sure you were working. Anyway, we ended up getting hopelessly lost and found ourselves in that forest. We also found that tree. We didn’t take it since we had no way of cutting it down, but…” He drifts off, letting the rest of his words go unspoken.

Marvin found that he wasn’t quite as annoyed anymore, although he still didn’t understand why they had to get up so early to find this tree. Sure it was special, but surely it wouldn’t disappear if they had gotten it a couple hours later than they had. The look on Jackie’s face says otherwise, and Marvin found that he suddenly felt bad for getting upset. All Jackie had wanted to do was find a piece of Jack that they could share. 

Jameson taps the table, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the table. He pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles on it. Why don’t we decorate the tree?

Henrik’s face lights up. “Vat a vonderful idea! Come on. Let us do zat.” He pushes his chair from underneath the table and exits the kitchen. 

Jackie jumps up after him. “Yes, let’s!”

Chase looks at his pancakes then at their retreating figures. “Can I finish my breakfast?” He calls after them. 

“No!”

“Too bad,” he mutters and takes another bite of pancake. Marvin stands up with Jameson. “You’re going to leave me alone?” Chase pouts.

“Well hurry up and you won’t be alone for long.” Marvin smirks, turning his back as he sputters at him. 

Hissing static greets Marvin as he plops onto the living room couch. Jackie fiddles with a vintage radio, searching through the channels for the Christmas station. Blips of songs merge together before he finds the station and a familiar song fills the room. 

Chase sings along as he comes waltzing into the room. “Siiiiilent niiight. Hooooly niiight.”

Henrik groans. “Is zis zee only station vith Christmas music?”

“Yup.” Jackie smirks. “Now come on. We have ornaments to get on this tree. Jack’ll be here in soon.” He digs into the large box, pulling out armful after armful of smaller boxes filled with decorations and they get to work.

Dancing and singing along to the various songs playing on the radio, they get the tree decorated in no time. Sparkling stars and glittering candy canes dot the evergreen in between rows of silver tinsel. Angels play hide-and-seek in between the branches with the snowmen. In the center of it all, six little people, one for each of them circle around a small yellow star. It was truly a sight to behold.

Marvin hardly even hears the doorbell ring, he’s so enraptured by the magical sight. Jameson and Jackie rush out of the living room to answer the door. Jack greets them warmly, stomping the snow off of his boots. After moving, they hadn’t seen him as much, but he’d made a promise that he’d be home for Christmas.

Though stories of the craziness of the year and warm meals shared in each other’s company, the rest of the day passes all too quickly. For once, they feel like a family again. Marvin silently thanks Jackie for making them all go get the tree once he sees Jack’s face light up at the story. Nothing was better than this. 

At the end of the night, they all raise their empty glasses and toast in the coming holiday, new year, and all of the memories just waiting to be made with each other.


End file.
